Facts

Want to go?

Lead singer Chris Woodson had just gone through a nasty divorce and was itching to get back into music when he ran into bass player Mike Huskey, with whom he had been in bands while the two were students at Spartanburg High School in the late 1980s.

"I'm in Walmart shopping, and I hear somebody call my nickname," Woodson said. "I was like, ‘What the heck? Who knows that?' And I turned around, and it was Mike."

Huskey invited Woodson to come see his then-current band play at Ground Zero, and, within a couple of weeks, the two had formed Ghost in the Machine.

"We really didn't expect the band to be accepted right off because the scene seemed to be more into the screamo/death metal type stuff," Woodson said. "We pretty much sing and do three-part harmonies. But it took off pretty good right out of the gate."

The band wasted little time putting together a debut album, releasing it in 2007.

Ghost in the Machine has just finished a follow-up effort, "Intelligent Design," that will be showcased at a CD release party Friday at Ground Zero.

"The first CD was pretty much to get us out there and get us in people's faces," Woodson said. "This one has a different feel. The music is a lot more mature and (the sound) is a lot fuller. … We're very pumped up about it."

The band's current lineup is rounded out by Hughie Elliott on guitar and newest member Chad Baldwin on drums.

Musically, Ghost in the Machine has a wide range of hard rock influences.

“I listened to a lot of Journey and Van Halen growing up, and right now, I'm very big into Muse,” Woodson said. “Mike is a big Rush fan, Hughie is an Iron Maiden fan, and Chad is really into Pantera.”

Woodson said a lot of people mistake the band's name as being a tribute to the Police, which released an album called "Ghost in the Machine" in 1981.

"Really, (the band name) came out of a philosophy book — ‘Ghost' being the spirit and creativity in one's self and ‘Machine' being the body," Woodson said.

“Intelligent Design” is an EP containing only five songs, but Woodson is certain the band will record more material in the coming months.

“It's like we've started the next chapter and a new beginning,” Woodson said. “The things that we have now, fit. We have the right puzzle pieces, and now it seems like everything is in its proper place.”

<p>Spartanburg-based hard rock and progressive metal outfit Ghost in the Machine was born out of a chance encounter nearly five years ago.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Lead singer Chris Woodson had just gone through a nasty divorce and was itching to get back into music when he ran into bass player Mike Huskey, with whom he had been in bands while the two were students at Spartanburg High School in the late 1980s.</p><p>"I'm in Walmart shopping, and I hear somebody call my nickname," Woodson said. "I was like, 'What the heck? Who knows that?' And I turned around, and it was Mike."</p><p>Huskey invited Woodson to come see his then-current band play at Ground Zero, and, within a couple of weeks, the two had formed Ghost in the Machine.</p><p>"We really didn't expect the band to be accepted right off because the scene seemed to be more into the screamo/death metal type stuff," Woodson said. "We pretty much sing and do three-part harmonies. But it took off pretty good right out of the gate."</p><p>The band wasted little time putting together a debut album, releasing it in 2007.</p><p>Ghost in the Machine has just finished a follow-up effort, "Intelligent Design," that will be showcased at a CD release party Friday at Ground Zero.</p><p>"The first CD was pretty much to get us out there and get us in people's faces," Woodson said. "This one has a different feel. The music is a lot more mature and (the sound) is a lot fuller. … We're very pumped up about it."</p><p>The band's current lineup is rounded out by Hughie Elliott on guitar and newest member Chad Baldwin on drums. </p><p>Musically, Ghost in the Machine has a wide range of hard rock influences.</p><p>“I listened to a lot of Journey and Van Halen growing up, and right now, I'm very big into Muse,” Woodson said. “Mike is a big Rush fan, Hughie is an Iron Maiden fan, and Chad is really into Pantera.”</p><p>Woodson said a lot of people mistake the band's name as being a tribute to the Police, which released an album called "Ghost in the Machine" in 1981.</p><p>"Really, (the band name) came out of a philosophy book — 'Ghost' being the spirit and creativity in one's self and 'Machine' being the body," Woodson said.</p><p>“Intelligent Design” is an EP containing only five songs, but Woodson is certain the band will record more material in the coming months.</p><p>“It's like we've started the next chapter and a new beginning,” Woodson said. “The things that we have now, fit. We have the right puzzle pieces, and now it seems like everything is in its proper place.”</p>